Capital Weather Gang: June 27, 2010 - July 3, 2010

Today marks the transition between the blissful low 80s of the last few days and the sizzling hot temperatures to come. If there's any consolation, humidity levels -- at least in the near term -- shouldn't be oppressive. But the lack of humidity means little to no chance of rain -- which we really do need.

Well, at least we squeezed in one last day with low humidity and comfy temperatures. In a few days we'll undoubtedly be looking back wishing for this weather to return. Delightful afternoon highs near and just above 80 have kept our short-lived "spring wave" (thanks, Camden, for coining the phrase) going, but it's fleeting and will soon be replaced by more of those 90+ days we've already seen so many of.

Another prolonged stretch of what looks to be highs in the mid-90s and higher is set to begin Sunday (July 4th) and last for much, if not all, of next week. While it may not be as epic as the heat waves of the 1930s, as CWG's Kevin Ambrose recently wrote about, this next round of heat is likely to keep firefighters and paramedics as busy as the first.
Here are some tips to keep you, your family and friends out of harm's way this holiday weekend and beyond...

Anticipation of serious heat returning by July 4th is all the more motivation to cash in on today's final wonderful day in this mini "spring wave," if you will. Highs skyrocket well into the 90s Sunday. And it appears the heat will set up shop for another extended stay, with temperatures possibly flirting with 100 at times next week. So get ready to roast -- and with little to no chance of cooling rain in the foreseeable future.

July is off to a fine start as we get treated to another below average day across the region. Temperatures in the upper 70s and lower 80s this afternoon are running a good 5 to 10 degrees below the typical average high this time of year. We've got one more of these glorious days to go before temperatures rise near normal on Saturday and then probably way back above normal for the 4th and into next week.

The most stunning thing to me about this forecast is low humidity for the next 3 days and barely a cloud for the next 5 days. If only we could lock in these pleasant temperatures. Regrettably, the dry soils across the region lend themselves to a fast heat up. As a result, we skyrocket from nearly 10 degrees below average today to about 10 degrees above average by Monday. Speaking of dry soils...we have now received less than 60% of normal rain in the last 3 months, which by my definition is a drought. If you can water your street trees, please do. Help keep our city green!

Talk about a spectacular day. Temperatures have struggled to get past the mid-and-upper 70s thus far and highs below 80 seem likely in many spots. If you have not had a chance to enjoy much of this glorious weather outdoors, there are still two prime days of this stuff ahead. After days and days of well above average readings, this is quite a change for the better!

The reverberations of the scandal many refer to as "climategate," which erupted last December after personal emails between top climate scientists were taken from a British University server and posted online, continue... but they are taking some new twists and turns.

Finally!... 90s are out of the forecast, at least until the weekend. The humidity and thunderstorm chances also take a leave of absence for the next several days. Our heat wave is officially done after a 10th straight day yesterday with highs at or above 90 -- the sixth time on record that Washington's high has reached 90+ on 10 or more consecutive days before July, according to the National Weather Service. We do start to heat up again as we get into this weekend. Can we make it a storm-free 4th of July?

The end of the current heat wave is here as a cold front swings to our south and east. So far, we are not feeling too much cool air, but the drier air is quickly making inroads. Though today is our last 90+ day for at least a few, it helped cement this June as the warmest on record by tying 1943 for most such occurrences in June with 18. The next several days are going to be about as awesome as you'll see around here heading into the heart of summer.

In an emergency effort to reduce electricity consumption during this heat wave, the Washington Metropolitan Council of Governments (COG) will be making all future weather announcements and forecasts in Celsius rather than Fahrenheit, Maxine Roberts, WMCOG spokesperson announced today.

About 1:45 p.m. on Monday, I received a call from my son who said our neighborhood pool in Oakton, Va. had closed due to thunder and he and friend had taken cover from the approaching storm in our house, which is a short walk from the pool. He said the storm had not yet reached Oakton and they were safely inside. I work just to the east of Oakton, in Tysons Corner, and I could see the clouds approaching from the northwest.

This record-breaking heat pattern is such a force that it will require two colds fronts to kill it. The first cold front came through last night and it is dropping our humidity. The second cold front will be your favorite as it sweeps through the area this afternoon making tonight incredibly pleasant. But as alluded to earlier, more heat should arrive over the upcoming holiday weekend.

The most recent measurements noted by the National Hurricane Center (NHC) indicate that Alex remains at tropical-storm strength with 45 mph winds, 991 mb pressure, and a center fix about 470 miles east-southeast of Tampico, Mexico. Given track projections, interaction with the Gulf oil spill will be reduced, and the U.S. Gulf coast will most likely be spared the worst. But a stiff east or southeast wind across the northeast Gulf might push "weathered" (non-flammable) oil onshore toward the northwest -- towards the Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama coast. The specific interactions and impacts are difficult to predict, however.

Are you ready for this heat wave to be over? I know I am. Today is the last oppressively hot 90+ degree day in the stretch that commenced 10 days ago. However, even though we cool off some tomorrow, we could still touch 90, extending the streak to 11. But I promise highs won't exceed the 80s for the period Wednesday through Friday and we'll have comfortable humidity levels. We should enjoy this hiatus, because the heat may start coming back next weekend.

The second peak of our heat wave arrives today as heat and humidity combine to push our heat indices to near 100. As Jason said yesterday, before this heat heads out of here, we're likely to have a streak of double-digit days in which we reach or exceed 90 degrees. Not exactly DiMaggio-esque, but impressive nonetheless. Some welcome rain is likely tomorrow as a cold front approaches the area and could ignite a few strong storms. Finally, as we move towards mid-week, cooler, drier air moves in and we're in for a nice stretch of much more enjoyable weather.